We were lucky to catch up with Brandon Baskett recently and have shared our conversation below.
Brandon, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?
I hope my legacy will amplify my dedication as a husband, father, brother, educator, and community member. I want my family and community to remember me as someone committed to helping others become the best version of themselves. I’m always thinking beyond the now and considering how my work today will impact generations. This includes my family and the families I serve as an educational and nonprofit leader. Proverbs 11:25 (NLT) reminds me that “the generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed,” and I truly live by this.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I started Seeds of Wisdom in 2016 with a good friend, Taji Caughman. He and I met at the University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA), and we both had a passion for helping others. After we graduated college, we both relocated to the Columbia area and shortly thereafter began working with a local nonprofit. This inspired us to create a nonprofit with our vision to see today’s boys develop into young men who create a better tomorrow. We had some experience mentoring college students at USCA, which served us well as we shifted that focus to middle and high school boys.
We’re proud of how far we’ve come since then, but we want to partner with other community members, organizations, and businesses to further our work. Specifically, we’re interested in securing a physical location, transportation for our mentees, and consistent funding to support our initiatives. We want to take our mentees on college tours, sponsor their college application fees, uplift them through our annual Youth Empowerment Conference, and teach them how to live out our core values of integrity, discipline, education, and ambition (I.D.E.A.). We’re also looking for more mentors to help us do this. Outside of our weekend meetings, we currently send mentors to Fulmer Middle School in Lexington Two and Pelion Middle School in Lexington One.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
My mom unexpectedly passed in 2016 at the age of 56. I was 26 and in my first year as a high school assistant principal at Newberry High School. I had to learn how to navigate personal grief amid professional growth. This time in my life taught me the importance of proactive communication and transparency with my colleagues and supervisor. It was okay for me to address my personal needs while also learning how to serve teachers, staff, students, and families as an administrator. This experience has served me well as I connect with people and practice empathy.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
I wasn’t sure how much it would cost to start a nonprofit organization, so I researched to learn more. I discovered how much it would cost to file with the state of South Carolina and then with the IRS to file for 501(c)(3) status. My wife, Christina, and I decided we would use our own funds to pay for those expenses as well as getting a logo design, PO box, etc. It could be very easy to look at certain costs and be hesitant or discouraged from pursuing something, or perhaps inexperience could provoke fear. However, I would encourage people to take one step at a time, and the path to purpose will get clearer.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brandonbaskett.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandonbaskett22/
- Facebook: facebook.com/brandon.baskett.5
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blbaskett/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/brandonbaskett
Image Credits
A. Renee Photography (Baskett family photo) and Sharee Washington